Navigation program: comparison of diagnosis-treatment times among breast cancer patients

to compare diagnostic-treatment time indicators for care provided to women with breast cancer, according to inclusion in a nursing navigation program.

retrospective cohort study conducted at a large hospital. Patients with breast cancer, navigated (n=133) or not (n=226), were included. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed, and the times (in days) from diagnosis to the start of different treatment modalities constituted the dependent variables. Descriptive and inferential analysis was performed at a significance level of 5%.

patients covered by the Unified Health System had significantly shorter median times between diagnosis and any treatment (77.0) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (77.0) (p-value < 0.001) than those not covered (100.5 and 112.2, respectively). Patients navigated by supplementary health insurance also had shorter access times to both treatment in general (38.0 versus 47.0; p-value <0.001) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (31.0 versus 50.0; p-value <0.001). Without considering the health insurance plan, no significant differences were found.

the navigation program had a positive impact on the accessibility of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Investment in this type of care management promoted by nurses is recommended, with greater emphasis on the Unified Health System.